I force myself to write everyday, even if it is just a page. I am currently working on editing the first draft of a manuscript in preparation to send it out. (Which is the most frightening thing in the world.)

When I have time to write, my process varies. There are the writing times when I am possessed with an idea that needs to be on paper. The times where I force myself to sit and spit out pages to get a piece done. The majority of my writing up to this point in my life has been for my own entertainment. Only recently have I started talking it more seriously.

Last Semester I had a creative writing class where we were required to write short fiction almost every week. This short fiction was prompted, and I had a deadline to attend to. In these instances I was forced to come up with something, but it wasn’t really a chore.

I have gotten ideas for my writing process mostly from this class, and these ideas mostly come from On writing by Stephen King and Bird by Bird By Anne Lamott. I think the best thing I learned from these books was the idea of printing my draft and editing it by hand like this:

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One thought on “Drafts, Re-Writes, Drafts, and Coffee.”

allenrowan2015March 19, 2015 / 11:12 pm

I’ve learned that forcing yourself to write can actually be very beneficial. It allows you to get something out, whether it’s trivial or important. Keeping a record of things that happen during the day or week can serve as future inspiration or spark an idea later on. Sometimes it’s hard to force out a even a little piece of writing, especially if you’re not in the mood, but I’ve learned from experience that it’s good practice and is ultimately very helpful.